6 Tips to Recruit and Retain Retail Employees

Many retailers are struggling to recruit and retain employees. In the webinar “How to Find, Keep, and Motivate Employees Today” from the Food Marketing Institute, Harold Lloyd, president of H. Lloyds and Associates, Inc., shared tips to make your store appealing to potential and current employees.
April 20, 2022 | Retail
By: Aaron S.
Aaron joined Acuity in 2017 as our Retail Specialist—bringing with him almost 30 years of experience in a broad range of retail. He started his career stocking shelves in the seasonal department at a local retailer. A few years later, Aaron transitioned to a gas station/convenience store, where he worked second shift while getting his degree in organizational communications from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. It was during this time he made the move to the loss prevention and safety aspect of retail. Over the next 25 years, he worked in various retail segments, including video games, cosmetics/skincare, hardware/appliances, pharmacy/grocery, and clothing. Aaron held several positions during this time, including District Loss Prevention Manager, Regional Loss Prevention Manager, Regional Compliance Auditor, and National Manager of Loss Prevention and Operations. Outside work, Aaron likes to spend time with his wife (who has also worked in retail for over 20 years) and their twin teenage boys. They enjoy being outdoors on the water, fishing, and camping. As the Retail Specialist, Aaron’s goal is to enhance the partnership between retailers and Acuity by showing retailers that an insurance company can be a supportive resource and that Acuity truly understands their industry.

Many retailers are struggling to recruit and retain employees. In the webinar “How to Find, Keep, and Motivate Employees Today” from the Food Marketing Institute, Harold Lloyd, president of H. Lloyds and Associates, Inc., shared tips to make your store appealing to potential and current employees.

 

Tips for Recruiting Retail Employees 

  • Recognize your employees’ morale and overall store culture. Ask current employees to fill out a survey to understand their experiences and opinions. This feedback can help improve your employees’ sense of community.
  • When hiring new employees, ask applicants to share how they found out about your store. Use this when hiring to see which channel pulled the most applicants.
  • Lloyd states that all great companies spend 40 hours on orientation for each new employee. This provides time for behind-the-scenes and front-of-house training and allows new employees to feel confident afterwards.
  • Encourage cross-training in your store. Training your employees across multiple departments is a great resource and will help them find one that they thrive in.

 

Tips for Retaining Retail Employees 

  • Give employees something to look forward to—engagement is key! Have something planned weekly, monthly, and annually for employees to look forward to.
    1. Weekly: Dress down or dress up days, free weekly lunch, treats for sales/promotions.
    2. Monthly: Company T-shirt program, employee of the month, raffles.
    3. Annually: Birthdays, holidays, work anniversaries.
  • Create an oasis away from work during employee breaks. Make the breakroom a calming/welcoming environment to help your employees and promote peacefulness.

 

This article was written by Emily Gamb, Regulatoy Affairs Analyst. 

By: Aaron S.
Aaron joined Acuity in 2017 as our Retail Specialist—bringing with him almost 30 years of experience in a broad range of retail. He started his career stocking shelves in the seasonal department at a local retailer. A few years later, Aaron transitioned to a gas station/convenience store, where he worked second shift while getting his degree in organizational communications from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. It was during this time he made the move to the loss prevention and safety aspect of retail. Over the next 25 years, he worked in various retail segments, including video games, cosmetics/skincare, hardware/appliances, pharmacy/grocery, and clothing. Aaron held several positions during this time, including District Loss Prevention Manager, Regional Loss Prevention Manager, Regional Compliance Auditor, and National Manager of Loss Prevention and Operations. Outside work, Aaron likes to spend time with his wife (who has also worked in retail for over 20 years) and their twin teenage boys. They enjoy being outdoors on the water, fishing, and camping. As the Retail Specialist, Aaron’s goal is to enhance the partnership between retailers and Acuity by showing retailers that an insurance company can be a supportive resource and that Acuity truly understands their industry.